Cardinal Newman Society publishes new edition of Catholic college guide

Manassas, Va., Sep 23, 2009 / 11:23 pm (CNA).- The Cardinal Newman Society has published a second edition of “The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College,” a free online resource for parents and students seeking a faithful Catholic higher education.

The guide recommends 21 Catholic colleges in the United States and eight international, online and unique programs based on its evaluation of the strength of the schools’ Catholic identity. Evaluations are based on four years of research and hundreds of interviews.

Each college or program is profiled on its academics, governance, spiritual life, student activities and residence life, a press release from the Cardinal Newman Society (CNS) says. A letter to families from each college president and information on financial aid packages have been added to the second edition’s profiles.

The guide also includes several essays to help families better understand their search for a strong Catholic college. Essay subjects include the state of Catholic higher ed, how to find God on a Catholic campus, and how to afford a Catholic education.

Fr. Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R., has also written a foreword to the guide.

More than 8,000 copies of the first edition, published on All Saints Day in 2007, were distributed to Catholic leaders and families.

“When we published the original Newman Guide in 2007 we did not know what to expect, but we found that families were eagerly searching for help in identifying Catholic colleges that truly embrace their Catholic mission in all facets of campus life,” said Patrick J. Reilly, CNS president and an editor of the second edition of the Guide.

Tom Mead, executive vice president of CNS and another editor of “The Newman Guide,” commented that while the Notre Dame commencement speech “scandal” highlighted the great work needed for the renewal of Catholic higher education, the colleges recommended by the guide are “a prime example of how it is possible to have a quality academic program while remaining strongly Catholic.”

As a Catholic father who wants to help his children “get to Heaven,” Mead said, he is “personally grateful” that there are so many options among the colleges listed in the guide.

“Our great hope in publishing this edition of the Guide is that tens of thousands of Catholic families will be introduced to these campuses where strong Catholic identity is a priority,” he added.